Orvyn Grelmont
|Row 2 title = Born|Row 2 info = Hillsbrad Foothills -9 L.C. 48 Years Old|Row 3 title = Positions|Row 3 info = High Lector of the Holy Order of Tyr Prelate of the Church of Tyr |Row 4 title = Prefixes|Row 4 info = "Your/His Eminence" "Prelate" "High Inquisitor" "Zealot" "Witch-Hunter"|Row 5 title = Faction *Allegiance|Row 5 info = Grand Alliance * Kingdom of Lordaeron * Holy Order of Tyr Sovereign Order (Previously) The Watchful Hand (Defunct)|Row 6 title = Alignment|Row 6 info = Lawful-Neutral|Row 7 title = Denomination|Row 7 info = Lordaeronian|Row 8 title = Religion|Row 8 info = Holy Light * Church of Tyr|Row 9 title = Status|Row 9 info = Alive|Row 10 title = |Row 10 info = |imagewidth = 350}}Once a slave forced to fight in the pits among the remote isles scattered across the South Seas, '''Orvyn Grelmont' now leads a monastic life, dedicated to the Holy Light. He previously ran a small sect of extremist Zealots for several years in the Western Plaguelands. Shortly after, he took up a similar role to the one he had, this time serving a separate Order: the Sovereign Order, where his monastic piety and clerical knowledge was deepened. He is known for his more radical stance on the worship of the Light and his previous denouncement of the Church of the Holy Light is nothing secret. In an effort to aid in uniting Lordaeron, he has since seperated from the Sovereign Order who had chosen isolation. Taking command of his Watchful Hand and the Light's Militant of Farshire Acres he returned to his duties, joining the Holy Order of Tyr as High Lector, and leading the rebuilding of the Clerisy of the Church of Tyr.'' Physical Appearance WIP History Born in the Foothills of Hillsbrad, Orvyn was raised among a family of 4 on a small farm which his parents labored on for a minor Lord. His upbringing was one of simplicity and religiosity. Past his 14 years in 5 L.C. his parents earned enough to buy their own parcel of land on which they started a small but thriving plot which grew wheat and barley. Orvyn was first in line, being raised to be the one to take over the farm after his father. The Second War At the start of the Second War in 8 L.C. at only 17, Orvyn was conscripted in the army to fight for Lordaeron. Despite enduring several month of rigorous training, he would see little fighting. The first battle Orvyn saw was at Tol Barad in 9 L.C. where his unit sailed on a small frigate to intercept the Horde which slowly pushed it's way North. Before reaching Tol Barad and the rest of the fleet, the Frigate was intercepted by pirates. Despite a fierce struggle in the skirmish and the allied victory that ensued, the Pirates claimed a handful of prisoners in their retreat, Orvyn among them. Enslavement After a few more months at sea, the Pirates made anchor among a remote chain of islands in the south seas, evading the conflict with the invading Orcs on the mainland. The chain of islands was a haven for criminals, mercenaries, pirates, bootleggers, deserters and most of all; slavers. Orvyn was sold by the pirates to a band of slavers who ran a fighting pit on the largest of the islands. Orvyn, who was not even 18 yet was thrust into the brutal and merciless world of pit fighting, set up against other fighters who all had more skill then he did. 21 Years in the Pits The long span of time in which he fought for the slavers, there was little he could recall. Orvyn would best describe it as fighting for your life every minute both in the Ring and outside of it. There was no honorable gladiators code or morals among the fighters. This was survival of the fittest. Orvyn trained relentlessly, both his mind and body bearing all the mental and physical troubles that were forced on him over those 21 years. Most of what he had learned in his younger years was stripped and he was re-wired and made to obey under threat of whip or death. Every victory, every foe he slaughtered, he insured his survival and rose through the ranks with his blade cutting men of all races in half, paving the way to his ascent. Orvyn was determined to survive and would ensure that after every fight he would be the one still standing, blade covered in the blood of his foes. To cope with the slaughter he committed and witnessed first hand, he resorted to drinking a heavy amount. It was enough to dull his sense and emotions, reducing him to his primitive state. He was a beast with only self preservation as a goal. Every year when the new wave of fighters were inducted into the pits, the reigning pit fighter of that year was granted freedom to make way for the next fighter who would rise to the top. During his 21st year in the pits, Orvyn was the reigning fighter and granted freedom, though it was not without a cost both mental and physical. Revelations While being a free man, Orvyn was far from being actually free. While his body no longer belonged to the slavers, his mind was still shackled. After 21 years of knowing only violence, bloodshed, hate and vengeance, Orvyn who was now 40 had no skills he could put to use in a trade or profession. During this time he spent much of his days drinking and sleeping, stricken with grief, and self loathing. One night after too much drink, Orvyn wound up in the Master Terrace overlooking the pits. This was the most lavish of the settlement and where the Slavers themselves slept soundly in their beds. Orvyn who succumbed to pure hatred and vengeance, and mind dull from drink, drew his blade and slaughtered the slavers and their families in their beds. When the sun dawned, he had no recollection of what had happened that night but the aftermath of the slaughter would stay ingrained in his memory until his death. When gazing upon the slaughter he had created, Orvyn was seized with an inner burning sensation of what he could only scarcely describe as remorse and regret. He collapsed in sorrow, weeping for his actions and those of the slavers who had carved the man he was today. It was then that the Light shone on his face and marked his revelations. In that moment of despair and submission before the Light, Orvyn was born anew, pledging the rest of his life to the Light and the protection of the Faith. Lordaeron, Farshire Acres, and The Watchful Hand In his quest to further his Faith, Orvyn led a pilgrimage across Azeroth, ending up in Stormwind by the year 32 L.C. Like many who follow the Faith of the Light, Orvyn soon found himself in the Cathedral Square which was the center of religious life in Stormwind. With Orvyn having found his profound faith only later in Light, he did not follow the teachings of the Church unlike many who lived in Stormwind and any other city. Orvyn was educated through reclusive monks, texts, and scripture which was rooted in old traditions pre dating the first war itself. Many of these texts he read were not even archived in the Cathedral after it's destruction at the end of the first war. Because of this, Orvyn followed a doctrine predating the Clergy and the contemporary Church, and therefore his attitude and beliefs stood at a sharp contrast to those of the Clergy. In his sleep one night, he experienced a dream in which the will of the Light was made clear to him. His purpose and destiny was to be found in Lordaeron, now in ruins following the Third War. Soon after this vision, Orvyn began preaching in the Square, recruiting those willing souls ready to pledge themselves to the Light and travel north and safeguard what remained of the fallen Kingdom. Despite finding a few potential followers, his preaching struck a wrong note with the ordained in the Cathedral. Shortly after this he found himself being escorted from the city, thrown out alongside those who pledged to follow him. Even after the Church turned its back on him, Orvyn remained steadfast and travelled north with only ten men and women following him. By the time they reached Lordaeron he had nearly two dozen souls with him. At the end of his journey North, he found a ruined town on the edge of a small lake in a valley, west of Andorhal. It was there that he would plant the banner of the Light and it was there that he, and his followers would carry out the Light work from. Orvyn named this valley 'Farshire Acres'. Within the year, the steady following he had gathered had turned the ruins into a small thriving town, protected by a frail wall. One year led to another and through sheer conviction and faith, more survivors joined the religious commune which soon boasted a few hundred residents. Soon after the old mines which ran under the western mountain ridge of the valley were re-opened and the silver, Coal and Iron which lined the stones flowed out and brought much needed coin to the settlement. by 35 L.C. the crops in the valley were at their most bountiful. The abandoned fort on the outskirts of the town was repaired with the incoming coin from the mines and crops. The wall which enclosed the valley was also reinforced in response to the mounting Forsaken aggression and their push into the Plaguelands and Andorhal. From the abbey in Farshire Acres, the Watchful Hand was born in 34 L.C. Headed by Orvyn as prelate, it served as a religious order working to ensure the sanctity of the Light and the protection of those who held faith. It's doctrine echoed much of Orvyn's own philosophy and the Order therefore adopted the path of an Inquisition, rooting out those who would rise against the Light and stand as a bulwark against the scourge and Horde. Their religious zeal clashed intermittently with both the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Crusade on several occasions, sometimes finding common ground with the Argents, though little common ground with the more extremist Scarlets. The Wounded Knight and the Sovereign Order's Plight In 37 L.C. shortly after the Legions invasion of Azeroth, Orvyn found a wounded Knight, ambushed by Forsaken on the road. The wounded knight slouched on his horse near death. Following the virtues of the Light, Orvyn sheltered the Knight, tending to his wounds in the Abbey where the Knight would live out the remainder of his weeks. The Knight identified himself as Derrik Mallister a former Knight of Stormwind and now of the Sovereign Order. Following the Order's faltering in the previous year, Derrik Malister as Lord Commander of the Knighthood of the Order traveled north in search for allies. The Knight recounted to Orvyn the ideals of the Order he served and in his last days, by simply having listened to the dying man, Orvyn was subconsciously recruited into Order, seeing many of its ideals and objective resonating with his own. After burying the Knight in the crypts under the Abbey, Orvyn sought the guidance of the Light. During his prayers he received the Light's answer and decided to journey south, seeking out this Sovereign Order and pledge his life to its cause, carrying out the Light's will. A Year on the Road The Journey south was a slow and perilous one. It took a while to get south and much had occurred on the road there. Not only did Orvyn need to navigate around Forsaken and Horde lines in Lordaeron, but also navigate the swampy wetlands and traverse the scorching wastelands of the Searing Gorge, Badlands and Burning Steppes. Early on in his travels he came across an Elf, who after dabbling with the void was consumed in mind and body. He was ambushed by the Void Elf renegade, and after a heated battle; he broke the control the void held on her mind. While the Elf was still imbued with the essences of the void, Orvyn had managed to expunge the consuming portion of it through the blessings of the Light. While he could not cleanse her entirely, he did agree to mentor her: teaching her to control the power she held and avoid succumbing to the void's control. In thanks for having saved her mind from the void, the Elf Velandria Eversteel pledged her life to the Light and to the tutelage under Orvyn. Joining the Sovereign Order In February of 39 L.C. Orvyn finally arrived in Darkshire, utilizing the talents of his recent Ren'Dorei ally, he tracked the reforming Order and it's Grand Master Clothair Ravenot and Hierarch Lindolf Elton. Approaching them, Orvyn pledged his life to the Order, and the lands of Farshire Acres to the Order's cause. That night, he swore the vows to the Order in the outskirts of Darkshire. Upon his induction, he began his work to the Light under the Order's colors, bringing in the Watchful Hand and assimilating it into the Inquisition branch of the Order. Campaign into Lordaeron Through tracking a band of cultist, remants of a sinister enclave in Duskwood who served the legion, Orvyn returned to Lordaeron. Dealing quickly with the cultists, he and the Order re-united with the Brothers of Farshire and reclaimed the city of Palenstrad. During this time, he spent a great deal of effort re-forming the Sovereign Order's office of Inquiry into the Watchful Hand. After much effort he was named High Inquisitor, in charge of not only the Office of Inquiry, but also in command of the arsenal which the Inquisition consisted of. Plaguelands Witch Hunt One of the main tasks at hand when reforming the Inquisitorial branch of the Sovereign Order was securing the surrounding regions that saw an immigration of peasants returning to the barren farmsteads. Heresy was still prevalent in the Plaguelands, witchcraft being the most prominent. Leading the Sovereign Order in this hunt, there were several skirmishes with witches leading ultimately to the Order foiling the Coven's plan to summon Old Gods within their lair in Terrordale. Afterwards in the early summer, they participated in the Siege of Lordaeron, primarily weakening FOrsaken forces in Alterac while the Grand Alliance laid siege to the city. However after the plaguing of Lordaeron, the Order faltered, and went into isolation, fortifying their hold around Palenstrad. The Church of Tyr and the Holy Order of Tyr One of the High-Inquisitors top lieutenants: the War-Cleric Erod Hawthorne, was severely injured by the plague during the siege of Lordaeron and was on the brink of death. His face scarred beyond belief and his faith in the Light faltering, the War-Cleric went on a pilgrimmage to rekindle his faith in the Light. On a trip to Seamark Isle, he encountered the Holy Order of Tyr adhering to the beliefs of the Church of Tyr which stood separate from the Church of the Holy Light. There he found a similarity between the Knight Templars of the Order and his own brothers of Farshire. It was there that Erod found a renewed faith in the worship of Tyr from which the power of the Light is harnessed. He returned to Farshire bearing news to the High Inquisitor. Just a few days before, Orvyn had joined the Assembly of the Covenant of Lordaeron, in hopes of finding common allies in the struggle to restore Lordaeron. Seeing the news which Erod brought as a sign, Orvyn pledged the Clerics of Farshire Abbey and the Warrior Priests of the Light's Militant to the Clerisy of the Holy Order of Tyr. Philosophy Having been educated into the Faith of the Holy Light under an older doctrine which has largely been forgotten by the contemporary church, Orvyn has unique outlooks on both life and faith. Faith Rooted in an Older Doctrine As a fervent follower of the Light, Orvyn believes in the concept chastity for those dedicating their lives to the Light. His philosophy on sexual interactions between man and woman therefore take on a strict pragmatic and reproduction reasoning, leading to an upholding of the concept of Holy Matrimony. He finds any relationship out of wedlock to be distasteful and an affront to the Holy Light. While his beliefs in the Light are filled with Zeal, he is a moderate as opposed to Scarlets, which many compare him to. He tolerates and accepts any who do not follow the Light, and so long as they respect the sanctity of the Light, Orvyn has no quarrels with them and will often work alongside them. When it comes to followers of the Light however, he believes that only through utmost faith can the Light grant it's benevolence to those who seek it's protection. In his quest to safeguard the Faith of the Holy Light, Orvyn makes it his duty to seek out those who falsely claim themselves faithful to the Light and abuse it's benevolence, as well as those who seek to harm the faithful and the Faith itself. In that regard, he is vindictive in his fervor and believes regular Inquisitions among the faithful are the only way to ensure a pure and sacred faith. He is not without mercy however, and those found committing acts against the Faith or it's faithful will often be released through repentance or pilgrimage and be given a second chance. Those who sin a second time though find less mercy. Lawful-Neutral Adopting a Lawful-Neutral stance, Orvyn respects the law above all and works tirelessly to ensure it is upheld. In Neutrality, Orvyn respects and accepts all who present themselves, taking them at face value and judge them based on their actions and merits. Like justice, he is blind and unbiased in his judgement. Dichotomy Between the Light and Darkness As opposed to many in the contemporary Church, Orvyn believes that Darkness is necessary for there to be Light. He is a strong believer that the two are not necessarily against one another, but rather each one thrives off another. If there was no darkness, how would one know the Light? Without the Light, how would one know Darkness? The presence of one entity allows for the definition of the other. Following this doctrine: rather then persecuting the Darkness, Orvyn seeks to embrace it. He believes in using the shadows to seek out the very individuals who hide within it from the sight of the Light's Justice. While the Light may be able to shine on the sins of some, those that linger in the shadow cannot be found. They simply move with the shadows that disperse in sight of the Light. Evidence of this philosophy is prominent in his previously tutelage of a Ren'Dorei Void Blade Velandria Eversteel. As a student of his, and as an Elf who pledges her life in service to the Light, he uses her talents in navigating the Void and the Darkness, acting as one of his hands, anchored in the void, carrying out the Light's will where the Light cannot shine. List of Personal Writings Arming Against the Darkness Forces of the Cosmos: The Dichotomy Between the Light and the Void. Sovereign Doctrine and the Consolidation of the Orders On Occult and Heresies: Publication Sovereign JudiciaryCategory:Sovereign Order Category:Characters Category:Kingdom of Lordaeron Category:Human Category:Lordaeronian